Lifeboat-supporting apparatus



n. MAcBETH. LIFEBOAT SUPPORTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. 26, I919- 1,385,258. Patented July 19, 1921.

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D. MAcBETH. LIFEBOAT SUPPORTLNG- APPARATUS.

APPLICATION man 05026, 1919.

1,385,258. Patggted July 19, 192-1;

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gym 11 m DONALD MAGBETH, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

LIFEBOAT-SUPPGRTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19, 1921.

Application fi1cd December 26, 1919. Serial No. 347,418.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD ldAoBnrn, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lifeboat-Supporting Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention has relation to life boat supporting apparatus for vessels and more particularly appertains to the automatically operable type of devices, the supporting saddles of which are adapted for actuation to release the boat for launching.

The principal object of the invention is to support the life boats on even keel, so that the same may be properly launched.

Another object of the invention is to automatically actuate the supporting saddles and the keel supporting element.

A further object of the invention is to automatically release the boat from the holding element at each side thereof.

With the above and other objects in view which will hereinafter appear as the descrip tion continues, the invention consists of the novel. features of construction, combination and formation of parts as will. be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings has been shown a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details herein exhibited, but the right is hereby reserved to any changes, alterations or modifications to which recourse may be had that come within the scope of the claim without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing the efficiency of the same.

Figure 1 is a disassembled elevational View of the operative elements of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the operating lever and keel supporting element;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the supporting saddles and keel supporting element, with the hull of the life boat illustrated in cross section;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental elevation of the saddle connection with the operating shaft;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the keel supporting element, illustrating the keel in dotted lines;

Fig. (3 is a similar view with the keel supporting element in horizontal position;

Fig. 7 is a similar View;

Fig. is an elevational view of the lever siunoorting standards;

l? 9 and 10 are front and edge elevational views of the shaft supporting standards;

Fig. 11 is a detail section of the link conncctions;

Fig. 12 is a fragmental elevation of one of the clamping hooks and. chains; and,

Fig. 13 is a similar view illustrating the hook in unlocked position.

Heretofore great difficulty has been experienced in properly supporting life boats on vessels, due to the fact that the same were sus icnded upon davits and the ordinary blocks for holding the boats on even keel were resorted to. This resulted in more or less damage to the hull of the boats, as.

the space thereunder was seldom cleaned.

Likewise the boats were not in proper position for launching, due to the sagging of the davit ropes. In the present device the life boats are supported on even keel. by DXHEPDEJ independent of the davits.

In the present device th usual cons tion, is opposite ends upon sadx lower ends of saddles l boat 10, of men adjacent its ies it and 12. The l 1 1.9; have edge engagement w n the t2: se bars 13 sccured by bolts to the d of the vessel. Those saddles ll and 19. .xve their upper edge portions disposed in arcuate plane to con arm to the shape of the life boat hull and said saddles are connected to the operating shafts 1d and 15, by the hinge members 1G.

lPhe keel. 17 of the life boat rests upon the upper end of supporting members 18, which latter are formed with upstanding flanges 19. These members 18 at their lower ends are formed with annular enlargements which are apertured for the pins 20, and the latter take into the lugs 21 of the hinge plates 22 to provide for the pivotal mounting of the same.

A channel 23 is formed in one side of su porting members 18 and is adapted for t e reception of pins 24, formed on the levers 25, connected to the shafts 14c and 15.

As has been described, the life boats rest intermediate their ends on the upper concaved edge portions of the saddles 11 and 12 and the keel 17 rests upon the supporting members 18. Theusual davit connections are used, but are not illustrated.

The life boats 10 are held in upright position by means of the plates 26 formed with flanges 27 which engage over the gunwales 28 of the boat. These plates 26 are likewise formed with flanges 29 which are apertured for the reception of the ring bolts 30. Hooks 31 are mounted on shafts 1 1 and 15 adjacent their opposite ends and said hooks 31 are connected to the lower links 32 of chains 33 and 3 1. Chains 33 and 34L are in turn connected to the ring bolts and wing nuts 35, when adjusted on the threaded portions 36 of said bolts 30, serve to firmly hold the plate 26 in engagement with the gunwales of the boat and resultantly hold the life boats in upright position.

When the boats are to be elevated from the supporting saddles, the latter are actuated on their hinge connections 16 with shafts 141 and 15, by means of the rods 37 and 33, which are formed with downwardly curved ends secured to the shafts 11 and 15. The inner ends of rods 37 and 38 are con nected to the opposite ends of a crank bar 3 11 mounted on, a shaft 42 in the standards 13 secured to the deck by bolts 13. Shafts 14 and 15 are pivotally mounted in the standards 1 1 secured to the deck by bolts 15 and said shaftis of square configuration in cross section. A lever 46 is connected to shaft and when adjusted operates shafts 1 1 and 15' through the crank bar 4:1 and rods 37 and 38, and consequently the saddles 11 and 12 are rocked on their pivotal connections 16. As the shafts 14 and 15 are rotated, the hook members 31 are withdrawn from the lower links 32 of chains 33 and 34;, thus releasing the plates 26 from the gunwales of the life boats.

As the saddles 11 and 12 and the keel sup- .plane, after which the boats porting members 18 are actuated to release the boat the latter is suspended in even position upon the davit tackles and is thus in the proper position for launching.

Shafts 1 1 and 15 will be actuated on the inboard side of the deck and each boat will have independent operative elements as described.

, When the life boats are to be returned to the deck, the lever 16 is actuated in the opposite direction to position the saddles l1 and 12 and the supporting members 13 in vertical are lowered by the davit tackles to position the same thereupon.

Having thus fully described my invention, what i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

Life boat supporting apparatus, comprising spaced transverse bars having flat upper surfaces, bearings arranged in proximity to the outer races of each of said bars in parallel relation thereto, shafts mounted in said bearings, spaced substantially right angular arms fixed to said shafts, saddles carried by the free portion of said arms adapted, at times, to rest on the flat upper surfaces of the bars, keel supporting members fixedly supported on said shafts having lat bracket portions on their free ends formed on certain of the sides thereof with upstanding flanges adapted for engagement with the boat keel to prevent lateral shifting of the same on the cradles, anchoring means engageable with the gunwales of the boat, means on said shafts for connecting the same to the anchoring means, and a common means for collectively operating said cradles, keel supporting members and anchoring engaging means.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

DONALD lilaolllfllll.

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